Islanders Recall Isaiah George

The Islanders have recalled defenseman Isaiah George from AHL Hamilton, the team announced.

The recall comes with Ryan Pulock sidelined by an upper-body injury he suffered early in Thursday’s 4-3 overtime win over the Wild. Pulock played only 51 seconds before leaving, and the New York Post reported the Islanders expect him to miss at least a game or two, starting with this afternoon’s home game against the Oilers. Matthew Kessel had been the team’s only extra defenseman. DeBoer is set to speak with the media around 12:30 p.m. ET ahead of the game, per Isles reporter Stefen Rosner.

George, 22, was one of New York’s final cuts out of training camp. He was assigned to Hamilton on September 27, the same day the Islanders signed veteran Logan Stanley to a one-year deal. Head coach Pete DeBoer rejected the idea that the demotion was a disappointment. He compared George’s path to that of Devon Toews, who played three years of college hockey and 125 AHL games before breaking through. “It’s a journey to become an NHL defenseman, and he took a step,” DeBoer said at the time.

The AHL assignment was interrupted almost right away. George, who wore a letter for the Hammers on opening night, left Hamilton’s October 9 home opener with an upper-body injury, and Hammers head coach Jay McKee said afterward that the team did not expect him back anytime soon. He returned to Hamilton’s lineup Thursday.

The Islanders took George in the fourth round of the 2022 draft, 98th overall. He made his NHL debut as a 20-year-old in 2024-25 and played 33 games that season, with one goal and four assists while averaging just over 15 minutes a night. Injuries limited him to four NHL games last season, and he has one goal and five assists in 37 career NHL games. He is in the final year of his entry-level contract, carries an $863K cap hit and is on track for restricted free agency next summer.